This invention relates generally to a cleaning apparatus, and more particularly concerns a customer replaceable hybrid cleaner.
Xerographic cleaning subsystems of low to mid volume copiers often use blade cleaning to remove toner from the photoreceptor (i.e. imaging surface). In a hybrid cleaner configuration, a brush disturber loosens and removes some particle contaminants from the photoreceptor, providing cleaning of the surface. This brush is followed by a cleaning blade that acts as the primary cleaner of the contaminants from the surface. At times, premature cleaning failures occur to the cleaning blade due to wear, nicks, carrier beads, paper fibers, and other contaminants. Such failures in xerographic cleaners require the replacement of the cleaning blade.
Normally, replacement of a failed blade in a hybrid system requires the services of a technical representative. The use of a technical representative causes the customer to experience significant downtime while awaiting replacement of the cleaning blade.
The following disclosures may be relevant to various aspects of the present invention and may be briefly summarized as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,030 to Shibano discloses a cleaning device adapted to be detachably mounted on an electrostatic printing apparatus for removing extra toner left on a photosensitive member of the printing apparatus for storage in a toner recovery tank is disclosed. The cleaning blade is used to seal an opening of the toner recovery tank when the cleaning device is detached from the photosensitive member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,790 to Watashi discloses the elimination of the possibility of mixing of the color of a previously used toner into a toner image after replacement of a developing unit by another unit containing a different color of toner.